Some five months ago, the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini kicked off protests against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It’s estimated that more than 500 protesters have been killed and over 20,000 have been imprisoned.
Protests still continue in several Iranian cities, including Tehran. This comes as Iran marked the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the country's clerical rulers to power. Ahead of the anniversary, Khamenei reportedly pardoned tens of thousands of prisoners. That's according to state media. This includes people who weren't even convicted though. And it comes with strings attached – and human rights activists have pointed out that many prominent figures remain imprisoned and arrests continue.
Arbitrary arrests are also what citizens in El Salvador have to put up with – all in the name of the so-called anti-gang war. Over 60,000 presumed gang members have reportedly been arrested ever since President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency last spring. It’s now been extended for yet another 30 days – for the 11th time. That allows arrests without any warrants.
And this is not going to stop any time soon, given the fact that a huge shiny mega prison was just presented to the public earlier this month. What does that do to a country when the fear of gang violence has been replaced by the fear of arbitrary arrests? Andreas Boueke went to investigate and Elliot Douglas has the story.